reason for our Protocol.
Once a Setian has become
T
Thhee SSccrroollll ooff SSeett
-------------------------------------------------------------
Issue Number 163
Volume XXV-3
June 1999
Editor: Linda Reynolds IV°
Copyright © 1999 Temple of Set
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[1] On Humor and Courtesy
at Setian Gatherings
- by Vesa Iitti III°
Here are some notes I made recently about
humor and courtesy at Setian gatherings. I think
they apply to one’s general interactivity within the
Temple as well.
One great aspect of the Temple is that here you
can be honest and open about your quest and all
personal things involved. If you are honest and
open, you are potentially also most vulnerable - not
only because of the things people know about you,
but also because of a special kind of respect people
usually hold for other Initiates - and because they
expect to be respected in a similar way.
Humor is a great thing that enlivens our lives in
many ways. Humor is also present at our Setian
gatherings. As Magister DeCecco once noted: “If
it’s not fun, it’s not the Temple of Set”.
In addition to positive atmosphere that humor
generally brings to our gatherings, it is also not
unusual that someone’s humor, or persona in
general, creates friction among others.
Each of us already has certain social habits.
Because of that we might be at times a bit blind
concerning humor we direct towards others, how it
may be interpreted by them, and how it might affect
them privately.
Here are some basic things to remember
regarding humor at our gatherings:
(1) A gathering is intended to boost our Xeper.
(2) A gathering is an official function of our
initiatory school. Maintain general respect towards
other Initiates, who seek knowledge of themselves
and of the Highest of Life.
(3) We have different senses of humor. What
might not seem rude or insulting to you might come
across that way to someone else.
(4) Sarcasm or little “Gurdjieffian humorist
notes” about others may be innocently intended, but
take care not to insult anyone. That would be
antithetical to the Temple climate, and it could also
be bad for personal chemistry in Temple affairs,
potentially breeding id-monsters in others’ minds
against you.
As Magister Laakso once commented to me, we
need communication guidelines for ethical reasons
and for clarity, especially at the beginning of our
affiliation with the Temple. This is the initiatory
familiar with the Protocol, he can communicate more
effectively and comfortably.
In the spirit of Wunjo, Xeper.
___________________________________
[2] Film Review: The Mummy
- by Michael A. Aquino VI°
When I learned that a remake of the 1932
Universal film The Mummy was on the way, I knew
I didn’t want to see it. The original was so
romantically sympathetic to the plight of the ancient
Egyptian priest Imhotep and the princess Anck-es-
en-Amon, and so beautifully enacted by Boris
Karloff (Imhotep), Zita Johann (the princess & her
modern reincarnation Helen), David Manners,
Edward van Sloan, et al., that any attempt to remake
it would inevitably be a disaster.
Also I was excruciatingly weary of movies in
which, in order to rubber-stamp Book of Exodus
PCism, ancient Egyptians are portrayed as
superstitious, morbid fools worshipping hopelessly
impotent animal totems. [Recently bizarre sexual
themes have been added with the hermaphrodism of
Stargate, bloated eunuchs in a television Cleopatra,
and pansified pharaohs in TNT Bible miniseries
epics.] Even in blockbusters like Raiders of the Lost
Ark, the inevitable message is that the Jewish God is
real and omnipotent, the Egyptian ones mere
primitive delusions.
Magistra Linda Reynolds went to see this new
Mummy and said, “You’ve got to see it; you’ll love
it!” I procrastinated. Lilith finally dragged me to it
yesterday.
Two hours later I came away from it thinking
that I hadn’t had such a great time at a movie since
seeing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1954. I
jumped up and down. I ran to Tower to get the
soundtrack. I ordered the Resurrecting The Mummy
making-the-film book from Amazon. I visited the
website (www.themummy.com) and downloaded
everything there. I’m going to see it again on the big
screen and then haunt Blockbuster for the
videocassette.
The movie begins with a sequence in XIX
Dynasty Egypt, among temples and palaces as you
always envisioned them. Such grandeur is possible
now only courtesy of the computer wizardry of
Industrial Light & Magic, but who cares? It’s a
sensory feast, topped off by Anck-es-en-Amon’s
entrance [and what an entrance!] to meet her lover,
High Priest of Osiris Imhotep.
Imhotep is every bit as dazzling as the princess.
Portrayed by Arnold Vosloo, he’s handsome as all
hell, with a set of muscles that would do Superman
credit, and throughout the film radiates an
aristocratic bearing befitting his high office. [Since
the pharaoh is Seti I, Imhotep really ought to be the
High Priest of Set, not Osiris. Just make that mental
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 2
jump when you see the flick.]
In this remake, AeeA is not Seti’s daughter but
his favorite wife, which is bad news for Imhotep. He
is duly cursed and buried alive, and the story shifts
to 1920s’ modernity.
Enter Eric Kauschen - I mean Brendan Frazier!
- as the only post-Indiana Jones adventurer who
manages to escape from the shadow of Harrison
Ford. You last saw him slamming into trees in
George of the Jungle . Here he has an equally
painful time dealing with Imhotep, who of course
comes back to menace Lord Carnarvon’s daughter
Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) along with most of the rest
of contemporary Egypt. Throughout the film Weisz
is every bit as much fun to watch as Fraser. She
isn’t either an airhead or a bitch, but rather a very
bright, resourceful, and pretty Egyptologist. [I’m
also tired of adventure films in which the female
lead is an airhead or a bitch.]
If Imhotep isn’t enough to make the ladies
swoon in this film, watch for the film debut of
Egyptian actor Oded Fehr as Ardeth (sic) Bey, the
dashing chieftain of a modern-day band of black-
clad desert raiders sworn to protect the world
against Imhotep’s release. [The 1932 Ardath Bey
was Imhotep’s Clark Kent name; this 1999
character is altogether different. But I don’t think
the girls are going to care what name Fehr is using;
he just got through acting as Don Juan in the
London theatre, which figures.]
IL&M lets out all the stops in the supernatural
scenes. You will rocket back and forth between awe
and laughter as Eric - I mean Fraser - defeats all
monsters, saves the world, and kisses the girl. As for
Imhotep, he is majestic to his inevitable last [In
another remake tweak, he’s afraid of white cats. In
1932 he had a pet white cat!]
And, bless him, Imhotep speaks ancient
Egyptian with [presumably] an ancient Egyptian
accent throughout the film. So for once you don’t
have to wince at the usual British or American
twangs coming from a 3,000-year-old priest.
Hurry out and see this film on the big screen
while it’s still circulating. I promise you’ll leave the
theater purring.
___________________________________
[3] The Obsidian Sepulcher of Amenta
- by Aaron Besson III°
Master of the Obsidian Sepulcher of Amenta
““Also
Also Asar
Asar was
was hidden
hidden in
in Amenti;
Amenti; and
and the
the
Lords
Lords of Time swept him with the sickle of
of Time swept him with the sickle of
Death.”
Death.” -- Aleister Crowley, Liber CCXXXI
Aleister Crowley,
Out of the explorations of the Order of the
Sepulcher of the Obsidian Masque, I have
manifested the continuation of my own personal
explorations into the realm of Death via the
Obsidian Sepulcher of Amenta.
Amenta, or Amenti, translates into “The Hidden
Land”, and is referred to by E.A. Budge as an
underworld location in ancient Egyptian cosmology
- a place where “a judgment of the dead took
place”.
Later on Amenta was equated with the Greek
Hades or Hell by the Coptics.
Kenneth Grant (who, in my own personal
opinion, should be taken with a grain of salt but not
without having some valid points) locates Amenta
behind the Cabalistic Sephiroth of Daath, the
cosmic power zone of death and knowledge (both,
interestingly enough, considered illusory by
Cabalists in this context).
Amenta is a Cthonic underworld wherein Set
rules. In psychological terms, Amenta corresponds
to the subconscious, simultaneously being the abode
of the true will and the burial ground for dead and
forgotten selves.
Upon the parchment that dromenoi of the Order
of the Sepulcher of the Obsidian Masque received
upon initiation is the affirmation that a dromen/a is
recognized as a Black Magician who “has been
touched and changed by the Fire of Death and
ennobled with the understanding that ‘death’ is but
a state of transition and essential metamorphosis in
the name of Set”. It is this Setian context of “death
as transition” that shall be explored by the
necromancers of the OSA.
Death plays a significant part in Xeper by
quantifying a current state of being [Through dying,
individual qualities of being improve or entropy.], or
by qualifying a new state of being [through death,
Becoming different] which requires transition. This
transition can be subtle or painful, but it continually
helps to eliminate the facets of the self no longer
conducive to Xeper at a given time.
Within the Obsidian Sepulcher of Amenta, death
will be explored on two levels:
(1) Operative: as a laboratory wherein tools can
be created, refined and shared with the purpose of
further manipulating death as a willfully utilized
transitional tool within one's own Xeper.
(2) Illustrative: as a forum wherein dromenoi
may explore how death relates to and affects their
Xeper.
Various realms of exploration within the OSA
will include anthropological thanatology (the
cultural study of death), cultural underworld
concepts as initiatory paradigms, LHP necromancy,
and death within Setian Black Magic and
philosophy.
The above foci of investigation provide a
foundation point for exploration within the OSA,
but do not in any way limit the potential for other
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 3

explorations. raised in a conservative, Roman Catholic family.

Admission into the OSA will be by invitation
Although Carlos was able to consciously repudiate
only. A period of correspondence and work between
many effects of being raised Roman Catholic, his
the Master of the OSA and the aspirant will begin
mentor, Don Juan Matus, on several occasions
the process of affiliation. During this time the
nevertheless accused him of remaining a “secret
viability of the aspirant’s association with the OSA
Catholic”.
will be determined. Work with potential affiliates
Of the many themes that the sorcerers of Don
will be reflective of their personal understanding of
Juan’s party hammered continually into Castaneda,
death within their initiation; In other words, you will
one of the most pertinent is that modern man is
be expected to “walk your talk”. Our work within
virtually crippled by the effects of socialization. The
the OSA will be focused towards opening personal
pressures of socialization leave little energy for
gateways into this realm of transition.
anything else.
The goal of the OSA is to bring into being
The direct result of this crippling socialization of
necromancers of the Left-Hand Path: Setian Black
contemporary man is that the myriad social
Magicians so in resonance with the concept of death
obligations that modern man places on himself leave
within their own initiation that they can experience it
very little energy left for anything else.
within their Xeper as a positive force which can be
One of the products of this socialization is that
used as an aid in the realization of individual
we all buy into the same consensus view of reality,
potential. religion, politics, economics, standard of living, etc.
All serious interested parties are welcomed to
The average man comes home after a full day on the
correspond with me. job only to repeat the same inanities over and over
___________________________________ again. As Don Juan said, most people appear to be
[4] The Berserker Guild senile by the age of twenty.
- by Robert W. Mann II°
He
He [Don
[Don Juan]
Juan] delighted
delighted in in telling
telling meme
The Berserker Guild is open to II°+ Initiates repeatedly
repeatedly that young age was not youth, and
that young age was not youth, and
actively working with the martial arts in their Xeper that
that young
young age
age was
was in
in no
no way
way aa deterrent
deterrent to to
while collaborating to establish a Black Magical senility.
senility. He pointed out that if I watched my
He pointed out that if I watched my
warrior tradition within the Temple of Set. fellow
fellow men
men carefully
carefully and
and dispassionately,
dispassionately, II
The publication Black Dragon is the primary would
would be able to corroborate that
be able to corroborate that by
by the
the time
time
tool for disseminating magical/martial applications they
they reached twenty years of age, they were
reached twenty years of age, they were
while also conducting comparative studies in tactics, already
already senile,
senile, repeating
repeating themselves inanely.22
themselves inanely.
intelligence, and medicine.
Warrior craft workshops will be held at various It is because modern life leaves so little energy
geographical locations and offered to the general for anything else that there are so few people who
membership through the Pylon system. are consciously engaged in an initiatory path. The
Setians wishing to participate in this element can search for this lost energy is one good reason why
contact me. Senior advisor of the Guild is Magistra the so-called “New Age” movement is such good
Rebecca Lance, and Sponsor is Priest Arnold R. business from a commercial point of view. It is also
Watson. the reason why so many are on drugs or addicted to
___________________________________ cults, politics, and religions.
[5] Nagualism from a Setian Perspective Antinomianism and Reversing the Effects of
- by Jeff Owrey Iº Socialization
II am
Restoring this lost energy is, first of all, a matter
am already
already given
given to to the
the power
power that
that rules
rules
my
of realizing that, strictly speaking, energy is not
my fate.
fate. And
And II cling
cling to
to nothing,
nothing, so so II will
will have
have
nothing
really lost but rather dispersed.
nothing toto defend.
defend. II have
have nono thoughts,
thoughts, soso II will
will
see.
Approaching the matter from the point of view
see. II fear
fear nothing,
nothing, so so II will
will remember
remember myself.
myself.
Detached
described in Castaneda’s books as the art of
Detached and and at
at ease,
ease, II will
will dart
dart past
past the
the Eagle
stalking, the effects of socialization must be reversed
to
to be free.11
be free. by following a systematic and disciplined procedure
-- Silvio
Silvio Manual
Manual to reclaim this dispersed energy.
(last
(last words
words toto Carlos
Carlos Castaneda)
Castaneda) This procedure involves performing acts,
referred to as “not doings”, which are antinomial in
The Crippling Effects of Socialization the sense that they are contrary to what is expected
Much of author Carlos Castaneda’s effort to of us by our socialization.
dart past the eagle and reach his freedom was An example of a “not doing” is the
devoted to reversing the lifelong effects of being
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 4

recapitulation whereby one relives as many perfect our awareness as an isolate intelligence until,
interpersonal encounters as possible. The someday, we have the energy to “dart past the
recapitulation is very explicitly explained as a way eagle” and be free.
of recovering energy that has been lost or dispersed Castaneda relates the “eagle’s rule” to us in the
through our interactions with others. Because most following passage from The Eagle’s Gift:
adults have interacted with hundreds, even
thousands of other people, this task is not trivial by The
The eagle eagle is is devouring
devouring the the awareness
awareness of of all
all
any means. the creatures that, alive
the creatures that, alive on earth a moment on earth a moment
Another example of “not doing” is the magical before
before and and now now dead, dead, have have floatedfloated to to thethe
passes themselves, which involve the body in eagle’s beak, like a ceaseless
eagle’s beak, like a ceaseless swarm of fireflies, swarm of fireflies,
physical movements intended to recover dispersed to
to meet
meet their their owner,
owner, their their reason
reason for for having
having had had
energy. The magical passes are quite antinomial in life.
life. The eagle disentangles these tiny flames,
The eagle disentangles these tiny flames,
the sense of being very far removed from lays
lays them
them flat, flat, as
as aa tanner
tanner stretches
stretches out out aa hide,
hide,
movements that the mainstream of humanity ever and
and then consumes them; for awareness is
then consumes them; for awareness is the
the
would conceive of making with the physical human eagle’s
eagle’s food. food.
body. The
The eagle,
eagle, that that power
power that that governs
governs the the
destinies
destinies of all living things, reflects equally
of all living things, reflects equally and and
The Resulting Energy Boost of Antinomianism at
at once
once all all those
those livingliving things.
things. There
There is is no
no way,
way,
Practice of the “not doings” and other forms of therefore,
therefore, for man to pray to the eagle, to
for man to pray to the eagle, to ask
ask
antinomianism results in a most useful boost of favors,
favors, to to hope
hope for for grace.
grace. The The humanhuman part part of of
energy that then becomes available for use in our the
the eagle
eagle is is too
too insignificant
insignificant to to move
move the the whole.
whole.
initiation. In fact the importance of antinomianism ItIt is
is only
only from
from the the eagle’s
eagle’s actions
actions that that aa seer
seer
becomes extremely clear when considered from the can
can tell what it wants. The eagle, although itit is
tell what it wants. The eagle, although is
energetic point of view. not
not moved
moved by by thethe circumstances
circumstances of of any
any living
living
It is only by the boost of energy provided by thing,
thing, has has granted
granted aa gift gift toto eacheach of of those
those
antinomianism that the Setian can expect to have beings.
beings. In its own way and right, any one
In its own way and right, any one of of
enough energy to survive the rigors of Xeper and them,
them, ifif itit soso desires,
desires, has has the
the power
power to to keep
keep the the
remanifestation. It is quite critical to have store of flame
flame of of awareness,
awareness, the the power
power to to disobey
disobey the the
energy when facing the unknown, and sooner or summons to die
summons to die and be consumed.and be consumed.
later during the process of initiation the unknown Every
Every living living thing thing has has been
been grantedgranted the the
must be faced. power,
power, if it so desires, to seek an opening
if it so desires, to seek an opening to to
It is no accident that, when among traditional freedom
freedom and and to to gogo through
through it. it. ItIt is
is evident
evident to to the
the
peoples the anthropologist occasionally finds the seer
seer who who sees sees the the opening,
opening, and and the the creatures
creatures
rare example of a warrior-shaman, the first thing that that
that go through it, that the eagle has
go through it, that the eagle has granted
granted
becomes obvious is the extreme austerity of these that
that gift
gift in in order
order to to perpetuate awareness.33
perpetuate awareness.
individuals.
In the past it has often been the fatal mistake of It is important not to take the “eagle” as a literal
the anthropologist to take this austerity as an metaphor. The devouring force is referred to as an
example of the poverty so common place among “eagle” because that is how the ancient seers of
present-day traditional peoples. In actual practice the Mexico saw the devouring force. The seers were
warrior-shaman has made a conscious, concerted aware that what they really saw was an abstract,
effort to remove all that is extraneous and cosmic force of the universe.
unnecessary from his life, and this includes material, If reversing the crippling effects of socialization
concrete possessions as well as more abstract can be seen as a prerequisite for the perfection of
considerations. isolate intelligence, then the purpose of Xeper and
Remanifest becomes much more transparent. The
Isolate Intelligence and the Rule of the Eagle ultimate goal - to dart past the “eagle” to freedom -
What is the ultimate purpose for the extra boost is the purpose of all our efforts at Becoming and
of energy that comes from practicing the “not Remanifesting.
doing” of antinomianism? What is the purpose of In closing I would like to suggest the following
isolate intelligence? question: Could it be that the ancient Egyptian seers
If we are willing to somehow equate isolate saw the same devouring force as the ancient
intelligence with the level of awareness that we each Mexicans and called it Set?
have as living beings, then the meaning of the “rule And, being faced with such an awesome,
of the eagle” becomes much clearer. The eagle incomprehensible concept, were they forced to do
(death) has provided each of us a way to escape to the only thing possible: represent Set by an abstract
freedom, if we so choose to take it. That way is to image that could never be taken as the image of any
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 5
living thing?
Footnotes
1. Castenada, Carlos, The Eagle’s Gift.
Washington Square Press, 1981, page 307.
2. Castenada, Magical Passes . Harper Collins,
1998, page 17.
3. Castenada, The Eagle’s Gift, page 172.
___________________________________
[6] A Note of Appreciation to Those
Attending the Los Angeles Gathering
- by Heather Candelaria I°
My coming to the Gathering was in many ways,
a test. I wanted to see if the people there were people
with whom I wanted to be associated, and if the
organization were indeed what it claimed to be.
There is also the strong possibility that Set himself
was testing me, to see if I would make a suitable
companion among his Nobles.
At the Gathering proceeded, I never ceased to be
amazed by the people I met. Everyone with whom I
had the good fortune to interact made a very
noticeable and lasting impression on me.
The presentations, the workings, and of course
[most importantly] the people who were present at
this event gave to me a sacred gift in the form of the
ideas and relationships which I brought home with
me from the Gathering. I cherish them all.
We all know that leaping into the void, that black
and terrifying unknown, has never been a
comfortable thing to do. We understand, better than
most, that it isn't supposed to be a comfortable
thing. Curiously enough, when I took my own leap,
the black void reached out to me and embraced me.
Imagine my utter surprise when I felt from the dark
mistress of the psyche what can only be described
as a feeling of compassion.
The many arms of the night held me, and
comforted me, and taught me things I would never
have known in solitude. Like a mother Our Lord Set
magically knew what I most needed on my journey,
and he became that thing. I am forever grateful to all
of you for that moment, and for the realizations
which I discovered inside myself during the
Gathering.
I promise that I will return that allegiance to Set,
to the Temple, and to the people who accompany me
on my own journey into the Darkness, with honesty,
sincerity, forthrightness, and trust.
___________________________________
[7] Walking In Other Worlds
- by Michael Kelly IV°
Most occultists - and many Setians - make a big
deal of the so-called “astral plane”, i.e. the practice
of using the creative imagination to explore
concepts, places, and Principles either within the
psyche or the greater universe.
There is no denying that in many circumstances
this can be a valuable and revealing exercise, often
leading to surprising revelations and inspiration
which may in turn lead to Xeper.
Anything which leads to Xeper is valuable. It
goes without saying that this tool is only valuable to
those disciplined Initiates who are able to focus their
minds upon the purpose of the work, and who are
not prone to flights of fancy, and only insofar as the
experience does indeed lead to Xeper.
The ancient Gaelic peoples too had a very strong
conviction that other worlds beside our own existed,
and that these other dimensional realities were
interwoven with our own world of three dimensions
in quite intricate and complex ways. Moreover a
gate into these other worlds could open at any place
at any time, and travelers might suddenly realize
with a start that they were in the Realm of Faery, a
much more sinister and powerful place than modern
fairy tales would have us believe.
There are actually several distinct worlds
described in the Celtic tales, but these are gathered
into three main realms: In the center is this world ,
our own three-dimensional reality (Bith).
Symbolically above our world is the Otherworld,
and below the sea and far away is the Underworld.
The imminence of the Otherworld is a factor
much emphasized in Celtic lore, and a journey into
the Otherworld was normally precipitated by a
journey in this world. A traveler might set off to visit
a village in the next valley, but find himself in
strange and unfamiliar surroundings, encountering
strange creatures who might assist or misguide the
hero.
If we can make the effort to rediscover the state
of mind which makes such transitions possible, we
can make every journey into a thing of wonder, and
recover the lost magic of the religious pilgrimage as
a thing of Darkness.
The Initiate desiring to try out the technique of
walking in the Otherworld should first plan a
journey in this realm. Start small; plan a brief walk
of no more than a couple of miles. As you set out,
however, state your magical intention to pass
between worlds and enter into places and meet with
entities which will reveal to you keys to your own
destiny.
Then, as you make your journey, keep your
senses alert and take in every detail, noticing the
little things that you would normally ignore: that
branch which sways in the breeze, the strange clump
of darker grass at the foot of the stile, the way that
hare turned and looked at you ...
If you meet others and exchange words with
them, memorize what they say and treat them as
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 6
oracular in nature, or as initiatory riddles.
When you reach the predetermined end of your
journey, “snap out of it” and ground yourself once
more in everyday reality. Immediately upon arriving
home, sit down and write a fully-detailed account of
everything that transpired on your journey and all of
the details that caught your attention. Set this aside
for three days.
On the third day, take up your written account
once more. Then proceed to go through it and write
it our again. This time, however, mythologize your
journey. Everything that caught your eye becomes
an entity with a message for you, offering some
guidance if only you can grasp it. Write your own
weird and wonderful tale based upon your journey;
at this stage, you should not limit your imagination.
Set this aside for three days.
On the third day, retrieve both your detailed
account of your journey and the mythic story you
have woven from it. Read through these with a
focused but open mind. Consider any current
questions which are weighing upon your mind, to
see if your reflections can shed any light upon them.
Analyze your writings, and try to isolate and define
any new insights or initiatory keys you find there.
These newly-won principles can then be put into
practice and shared with your peers in the Temple.
To begin with, you will make only short
journeys, and your natural reticence will limit what
you can discover. As time passes and experience
grows, however, your tales will become more
overblown and heroic, your imagination will open
up deep wells of wisdom within, and the incidence
of meaningful synchronicities will increase to a
startling degree.
This type of working is certainly not suitable for
everyone, but will pay great dividends to the creative
or poetic soul which is not afraid to plunge
exuberantly into its own depths. It also provides a
new key to assist in getting the most out of that
supreme Setian pilgrimage which is a conclave.
___________________________________
[8] Conflict and Camaraderie
at the Mid-Year Gathering
- by Amy Hession Iº
There’s no denying it: we are quite a motley
crew. Yet our differences as individuals and Initiates
prove to be our strength and not our weakness, as
gatherings are wont to show.
It’s no secret that the general current of the
Temple will rarely be harmonious; it’s the price we
pay for being headstrong warriors and
uncompromising philosophers. Though the Temple
of Set and its Initiates may not be the most
congenial bunch in the occult community, we are
certainly some of the most interesting.
The Mid-Year Gathering affected me on many
levels, and it is only now beginning to surface in my
conscious mind, unfurling slowly to reveal the
bright new offering of creation that has been a gift
of my interaction with others.
For me, the most valuable times during a
gathering are those quieter moments in-between
rushing to presentations and workings: the times
when kindred spirits on similar paths are
inexplicably drawn to one another and new alliances
are formed. These are the moments when you get a
true glimpse at the collective soul of the Temple of
Set by tapping into the minds of individuals.
A perfect example of this is my experience at the
Waikiki Conclave last October. I was well aware of
the existence of the Temple, and was considering
joining when my partner announced that he would
be attending the conclave in Hawaii.
A staunch “people person”, I had been
resisting aligning myself with the Temple because I
could not get a distinct impression of its direction
through printed word. I felt that I needed personal
interaction with Initiates of the Temple before I
could affiliate with it. [Of course the fact that it was
being held in Hawaii the week of my birthday had
nothing to do with it!]
The result was that I was able to make some
potent connections within the Temple during that
week. I returned home with an understanding of the
diversity and potential strengths of this Temple that
I could not have had otherwise, and decided that my
vision could add a new dimension to the Temple.
Within this forum I felt that my creative juices could
find an effective conduit.
Now a fledgling member of three months, I have
found that this instant reaction upon meeting other
Initiates has proved truer than I could have
anticipated.
Having now attended the Mid-Year Gathering in
Los Angeles as a Setian I°, I find that a new depth
has been added to my magical work. Once again
individuals (both old acquaintances and new) who
resonated with one another singled each other out to
engage in condensed discussions packed densely
with discoveries and revelations.
I suppose that it is the potency of small-group
or one-on-one contact that I thrive on and which
makes me feel inspired. While I found many
presentations praiseworthy and the last working
quite invigorating, it was the more personal
encounters that really stimulated me.
Not that these confrontations are always positive
ones, mind you. Strangely enough, the one thing on
which I think we can all agree is conflict. A healthy
dose of discord between Initiates and within the
Temple as a whole can be the source of great feats
of creativity.
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 7
I’m not endorsing going out of your way solely
to piss other people off. It is merely my observation
that ofttimes we become our most exalted selves
through mutual aggravation. Priest Schreck’s
presentation on the principles of war in Setian
context illustrated this point beautifully, I believe.
Of late both my most original thoughts and the
expansion of my consciousness have been rooted in
friction. While that may not be the ideal path for
every Initiate, a constant kick in the ass can be just
what some of us need. Applying combative mores to
our magical endeavors can be radically effective.
Another benefit that I am able to reap from
personal contact is the breaking down of the “caste
system” within the Temple.
When you read what other Initiates have written,
you might find nuggets of real import, but often it
will be penned in such a scholarly fashion that it
may obliterate any trace of personality. This is
applicable to Setians I° in particular, who often get
no sense of the multi-faceted character behind the
degree-title. Face-to-face communication alleviates
this unfortunate condition.
I recognize the virtues of dignity and respect
within the Temple as absolutely necessary, but I also
think that within the touchy realm of protocol there
is a tempting opportunity to shield oneself with a
title.
I believe that I always extend my courtesy and
respect to other Initiates, whether our ideas mesh or
not. However I also deem it necessary to
occasionally “pull the scepter out of peoples’
asses” (regardless of degree). That is the phrase I
have coined for the breaking down of those barriers
between initiatory planes - a bit crude, perhaps, but
if the scepter fits ...
When we meet at gatherings, all Initiates are
better able to sense the intrinsic value in individuals
of varying degrees, and we begin to feed off of one
another’s ideas, each of us coming away with a
philosophy of rare diversity. Even in this sub-
culture of change and healthy opposition, there are
moments of vivid solidarity, however.
The most intensely poignant moment of the
entire Mid-Year Gathering was the one immediately
following the violent exercise in personal truth that
was the final working. Exhausted and exhilarated, a
roomful of Setians embraced one another as
visionaries of a new human era, and more
importantly: as family. That was an instant in time
not to be missed.
___________________________________
[9] The Importance of Humor
- by Peter Andersson II°
Priest Vesa Iitti brought an important issue to
our attention after a recent Setian gathering in
Finland - humor and courtesy at Setian gatherings.
Though I agree in full with Priest Iitti in this matter,
I would like to offer a slightly different approach.
The fool is the one who makes us laugh at his
antics and “says the things to the king that no one
else would dare to say”, or the one that horrifies us
in the guise of a trickster. This is automatic recoil
into life.
Thus the fool, through the function of laughter,
helps us to find our way back and forth between
worlds, as in the function of the shaman or
psychoanalyst. In a Jungian sense there is, as
American psychoanalyst Greenson said, a need for
good personal life and necessity to stop being
rational, analytical, and correct, and to be able to be
irrational, foolish and wrong for a change. We need
the freedom to be carefree and to be able to play, to
stimulate life forces, and to aid in making contact
with our own personal creative center.
At conclaves we are much like the Fool (of the
Tarot trumps) who is surrounded by symbols of
power, but actually not partaking of any of them.
We must by our own will partake, since this is not
something that is given, neither imposed upon us.
We must by our own will take part in workshops,
workings and discussions - because no one will
force us to [this is the ethics of a Setian].
If a conclave or any other gathering is in your
opinion getting out of hand because of to much
joking around, simply take the chance to throw a
question at one of the “fools”, and you will find
that he immediately will shift to issues of your
interest. This is the function of the fool, the shaman,
and a quality of a Setian. And your question or
statement will make the conclave into whatever you
wish it to be.
Humor is important at conclaves since it is a
sign of potent and energizing event. Laughter works
as a “ventilator”. As Gurdjieff told Ouspensky:
“Laughter relieves us of superfluous energy, which
if it remained unused might become negative, that is,
poison.”
Humor is also about friendship, such as my
jokes with Magister Laakso, which is a side-product
of our deepened relationship, and works because of
a certain honesty and a great respect for each other.
Otherwise it would have turned into enmity.
From my perspective there is a need for humor,
i.e. being able to be irrational and “wrong” after
heavy rational interactions.
A clarification I feel destined to make here is
that I am not talking about friendship in the sense of
the type we normally have in the World of Horrors,
but a friendship that would be best expressed as
being metaphysical.
My jokes with Priest Iitti are of the same kind -
based upon a metaphysical friendship and built
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 8

from a certain and great kind of respect. neither to simply have a laughter - then humor will
This also applies to my jokes with Adept not be a problem but an asset.
Soilander. ___________________________________
Humor is one facet of friendship, besides the [10] United Kingdom Conclave
rational/serious that cannot be neglected. To restrain
the humorous facet would be to restrain the Interested Setians are invited to attend a regional
friendship. Understand humor in this sense and I conclave in Brighton, August 28-30, 1999. This
am sure that you will not feel it is inappropriate - it event is hosted by the Gates of Ganzir Pylon.
is simply a facet of friendship. If you’re interested in giving a presentation or
I would not joke with any Setian for whom I do working, or just in attending, please contact either
not already have great respect. Priest Knowles or Adept Fordham in care of the
During the Middle Ages telling jokes and Pylon. We look forward to seeing you there!
laughter was not necessarily sinful - though it was
considered to lead to sin. ___________________________________
If you have read (or seen the movie) Ecco’s The [11] Crystal Tablet Available in German
Name of the Rose, you will probably remember the - by Simone Lohmeier II°
sullen Jorge saying that “laughter agitates the body,
deforms the features, and makes man look like a The Crystal Tablet of Set is now available as a
monkey”. The hero of the book, William of German translation for Initiates with German as
Baskerville, responds, “Monkeys don’t laugh. their first or second language.
Laughter is unique to mankind, and it is a sign of Those of you who were able to attend the
our rationality .” PaderClave in November 1998 already know that
So what about rationality in laughter? From a this is the second edition of this translation,
scientific point of view, humor [and laughter] is upgraded and “debugged”. For more information,
biologically quite rare, and laughing is unique to please contact me.
mankind. Intranet users: Please watch for announcements
Scientists concerned with humor claim that what concerning the opening of the German section,
is fun always has a presumption - oppositions and hosting the Crystal Tablet translation and possible
common taboos must be broken before a story is additional documents.
funny. In principle nothing is funny in itself. A _________________________________
situation is only funny if it is opposed to another [12] Notes from Neheh
situation. - by Don Webb V°, High Priest of Set
Most jokes are cultural and act on opposition
between the expected and the paradoxical. Therefore Concerning the Essential Working
it requires a certain insight to be able to interpret For the Year of the Essential there will be a
jokes as funny. Temple-wide working on North Solstice XXXIV.
Laughter is culturally conditioned but rests on a Each Setian must do four things:
biological foundation. Laughter is on one hand a
product of a way we see and understand the world (1)
(1) Think
Think long
long and and hardhard about
about thethe most
most
and our ability to express ourselves - our culture important
important aspect of the Temple to him.
aspect of the Temple to him.
and our intellect. On the other hand laughter is only (2)
(2) He
He must
must do do aa solitary
solitary working
working near
near oror on
on
possible since our body functions in the way it June 21, XXXIV to strengthen that
June 21, XXXIV to strengthen that aspect. aspect.
does. Include
Include some
some phrase
phrase or or gesture
gesture to
to mean:
mean: “I
“I
It demands high intelligence and power of know
know that property X has opened a door
that property X has opened a door for
for
invention to understand a joke or to interpret a me,
me, yet
yet II sense
sense itit can
can open
open more
more doors!”
doors!”
situation as “funny”. However there are no (3)
(3) He must wish that whatever the
He must wish that whatever the essential
essential
intellectual functions connected with the property
property is is grows
grows in in the
the Temple.
Temple.
uncontrollable bodily contractions we call (4)
(4) Sometime
Sometime beforebefore thethe end
end of
of the
the year,
year, he
he
“laughter” (for instance when we are tickled). If must
must tell another Setian what the property
tell another Setian what the property
laughter is only a bodily function, there must be a is.
is.
connection between our intellect and our body
which causes us to laugh when we hear a joke. Concerning the Los Angeles Gathering
Humor, tempered with judgment, is an important The Los Angeles Gathering was structured as a
facet of our communication and cannot and should single, vast working with four goals in mind:
not be neglected. If we go to conclaves, or otherwise
meet Setians because we want to share, listen, and •• To
To invoke
invoke the
the spirit
spirit of
of the
the Feminine
Feminine
learn, and not to “make fun” at others’ expense, Dæmonic into the Temple.
Dæmonic into the Temple.
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 9
•• To
To increase
increase awareness
awareness ofof testing
testing and
and self-
self-
honesty.
honesty.
•• To
To increase
increase awareness
awareness ofof Set
Set as
as warlord.
warlord.
•• For
For each Setian there to find his
each Setian there to find his own
own wish
wish
for the Setian century to come.
for the Setian century to come.
This led to great emotion, thought, bravery, and
initiatory wisdom by all attending. The seeds were
carefully planted in a secret location at 12:36 AM on
5/18/XXXIV, and have begun to work their will
upon the world and its myriad ways!
The Los Angeles Gathering was a great success,
with a near-perfect blend of local I°s and
experienced Setians of all degrees. The Babalon
Pylon is to be commended in putting together such
a smooth-running event.
There were very important issues discussed: the
Feminine Dæmonic, the Principle of War, and the
founding of the Guild of University Students. Each
of these ideas and associations will prove to be of
great importance to the Temple in years to come.
Many enjoyable extensions of existing work
occurred - such as Magistra Hardy’s talk on “Edge
and Center” as a model for human historical
development [and key to those who wish to speed
that development], Magistra Lance’s talk on
dreaming, and Magister Severson’s presentation on
LHP yoga.
Our eyes were feasted by Adept Brad Moore’s
art, our senses entertained by the wonders of the
Magic Castle [If anyone can explain where the
second watermelon came from in the Close-Up
Gallery, I would be most appreciative!], and our
sense of LHP history sated with the presentation on
Parsons and the auction of memorabilia from our
past Magi Ronald K. Barrett and Anton LaVey.
Such gatherings have been, are, and will be the
medium in which initiation is exchanged through the
Temple, and facilitate our central sacrament. On
behalf of the Prince of Darkness, I extend warm
thanks to Priestess and Priest Schreck, the Babalon
Pylon, and the attendees of this gathering.
The Feminine Dæmonic was introduced by
Priestess Zeena and Priest Nikolas Schreck, the
War Element by Priest Schreck, and the Guild of
University Students by Adept Guiniviere Curfman. I
am sure that we will be seeing articles in the Scroll
on these matters.
Essential things in the Temple have been
furthered by this working, and I urge those who did
not attend to ask their friends who did attend what
they learned, saw, and did.
Concerning the Fourth Degree
The simplest idea of the Temple is that magic is
the changing of the subjective universe so that a
change in the objective universe occurs in
proportion to the precision and passion of the
operator. The Fourth Degree is the living example
of this process.
Early in our magical careers we discovered the
truth of this simple theory. We create a little ritual
for money, health, or wisdom. It takes time and
practice for us to learn the two steps of
concentration during the ritual, so that we can
create a pattern within ourselves that may imitate
itself in the world, and mindfulness after the ritual
so that we can see the desired state Come Into
Being, then act appropriately to see to it that it
becomes part of the world order.
The Master has sampled this period of single-
focused concentration and knows how much such
phenomena differ from the usual flux of human
consciousness that accomplishes nothing. He has
likewise seen how very difficult it is to be mindful
so that opportunities can be seized.
He has made concentration an internalized part
of the ordering of his body, mind, and soul. This is
to say, the Master has Become Black Magic.
Masters do not enter into a “working” state
with the ringing of a bell. They maintain some
access to that state at all times, and the world around
them shows this.
The Master also has access to a state of
mindfulness. Mindfulness is an impartial
awareness, a sort of cosmic detachment that allows
the Master to conserve his energy, waiting for the
right moment to act for maximum effect. As such
the touch of a Master is always light. Conserving
energy is one of the keys to making initiation a
lifetime affair.
These states carry a great danger in them. They
exist not only in all Initiates, but actually in all
human beings. They are greatly longed-for - and
during their brief appearances seem as though they
may be permanent. Such flickerings of these states
enliven the II° with their great hope and energy.
The coming of these states comes with danger:
Firstly, the arrival of sought-for states brings
about a tremendous desire to relax and slack off.
This is human nature. We always want to fix about
90% of our problems, until we arrive in a “comfort
zone.’ That last 10% never gets fixed, and
eventually pulls us back to where we were.
The Master has arrived in such a comfort zone.
Although he now has the tools needed to fix things,
he has lost the external impetus.
The second danger of the state is to succumb to
sadness. The mindfulness of the Master makes him
very aware of the fragility of human nature.
Whereas the Priesthood III° rejoices at every
step toward Xeper, the Masters know how little it
takes to lose momentum. They seem to lack the
fierce excitement of their III° brothers.
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 10

A Master must therefore consider those things isn’t very long, and it seems to be so filled with
that worked for him: those props of æsthetics, abstract principles rather than guidelines for action.
information, goals, and moods that sustained the The “study” of the CT isn’t a massive re-
concentration that has become his. He must reading of its parts, nor casual chatter about them on
articulate these in the world, so that he can create an
Setian-l. “Study” is trying out things that will
arena wherein his sadness may be overcome by occur to you as you consider the philosophy and try
seeing human achievement, and wherein he may out the rather simple magical formulæ.
refine his techniques to 100% rather than the 90% The “study” of the CT revolves around two
which makes him sleep. things:
The Master must see to it that the patterns which First discovering the truth of: “Magic is
he has created in himself exists not only in him as changing the subjective universe so that a
an individual, but in a series of interactions between
proportional change in the objective universe occurs
him and people around him. depending on the passion and precision of the
There are four tests of the Master which show operator.”
whether he has obtained concentration and Discovering this truth is not a matter of reading
mindfulness: about it; it is about self-change.
The first test is the circumstances of his life. If Second the lab work, or using the self-chosen
the Master has changed his subjective universe into goal to which Xeper awakens you: the desire to say,
a place of harmony, his outer life will have changed “I have Come Into Being.” That you have done
to show this. The Master will have changed his something real both inside of and outside of
outer life into a form of play. This means he isn’t yourself is your guide. That is the hardest part of
working at a job he hates, living with people he can’t
the practice to do, and the basis for all else.
stand, and has the wherewithal to do anything he The æsthetics of magical practice don’t matter.
really wants to do. That is a matter of taste. It isn’t our concern. If you
The second test is the effect the Master has on like Runes, great. Lovecraft floats your boat? Super.
people. The Master’s calmness of being will have a You want to re-create Sumerian magic academically?
calming effect on those around him. He exudes an Wow.
atmosphere that aids the concentration of others The Setian discovers that he has forged his own
much as withdrawal from sensory distraction, or fetters, and that if those fetters are removed, the way
certain props such as sounds, shapes, colors, and so of power is opened.
forth might. The Master is a living focusing device. If discovering and overcoming fetters by use of
The third test is the uniqueness of the the mysterious principle of magic, coupled with hard
Master’s teaching. He must have a set of ideas, work and self-chosen strategies, appeal to you, the
techniques, and means of teaching these things that two-year limit won’t seem very important, because
are unique to him. The permanence of the Master’s you are doing what you need to do. You would be
subjective universe is reflected in his external focus.
doing it because you love and want to improve
The Master’s mind no longer wanders yourself, not because some not-for-profit
everywhere, and his feelings are no longer the corporation In California publishes a bimonthly
plaything of the world; therefore his methods reflectnewsletter.
that calm. An example in emotional context: Perhaps a
The fourth test is the ability of the Master to Setian discovers that he is ruled by anger and fear,
act in difficult situations with resourcefulness and as are most human beings. He uses his Tibetan-
appropriate timing. This is the test of mindfulness. based magic to create an image of himself as open
The Master, having learning to watch the and trusting. Then he takes a sky-diving course,
cosmos to see the results of his will becoming coupled with having to car-pool to get to and from
manifest, should be uniquely sensitive to the many the site. While that is going on, he does his samatha
factors of life. He will be as bothered by the tough to straighten the new qualities he seeks.
problems of life as anyone, but he will have access An example in physical context: Maybe a Setian
to an objective point of view. concludes that he has crappy, low-paying jobs
As Magus Stephen Flowers once wrote, “A true because of lack of confidence. He carves a
mark of Masters is that they can objectively evaluate“bindrune” of Fehu, Tiwaz, Ansuz, and Raidho. He
and Recognize states of being in others whom they also starts looking for a job that challenges him and
do not even personally like.” pays better. He begins planning some things to do
after this first step. He doesn’t take the first job that
Concerning the First Degree he finds [as in the past], but holds out for one that
Setians I° are often disheartened by the constant fits his needs.
advice to “study the Crystal Tablet”. After all it
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 11
These demonstrations of what the self has
always shielded itself from even considering deeply,
change the psyche. They introduce the notion of the
possible, and they give the person a great deal of
friction that will make him aware of two things:
(1) their vast hidden resources, and
(2) the real reasons that hold them back.
These two very unexpected things show up
while the Setian is (a) learning to do magic and (b)
building a community of people to talk with around
the world.
The worst aspects of their personality begin to
leave just as new powers, and living people who
inspire them, appear.
Some of the hidden resources will come to your
attention by facing the social unknown, others by
simply deciding past limits don’t apply anymore
(e.g. “I can deal with my mother.” “I can stop
smoking.” “I can learn Latin.”).
The real reasons that hold us back can be a
surprise as well (e.g. “I don’t want to make my
husband look dumb.” “I am really scared that there
is a Devil/Hell.” “I know my brother was the smart
one.”).
Learning these real reasons is what earlier
magicians called “knowing the names of demons”.
Once you find them, you can make them work for
you.
Turning a obstacle into a vantage point, is
creating the temple of the self wherein one can say
in service to the god-that-is-Becoming: “ Xeper. I
have Come Into Being.” Once truly said, this
incantation changes all universes.
This is the lesson of the I°. The lesson is unique
to each Setian I°, and since it begins a type of
magical self-reliance that is wholly unlike the warm,
womblike world of the occult, many will leave.
Some of these may hear the Word later in their
lives; we don’t all get up when the alarm bell rings.
Others, however, will be surprised that self
knowledge can often hurt, and will become our bitter
enemies. They did not learn to balance hurt with
wonder, and shock with appreciation. We do not
despise them, though we have no trouble slapping a
mosquito that fastens on our arm. But in their
reactions, as in the actions of all humans, we seek to
learn. We don’t need to make all the mistakes in the
world; there are billions of humans to make at least
some of them for us.
In the meantime be looking for notes from your
own future. Xeper.
___________________________________
[13] The Feminine Dæmonic: The
Mysteries of Babalon in the Æon of Set
- by Nikolas Schreck III°
Consider the curious fate of the Goddess.
At the time of this writing, She is almost entirely
relegated to the puerile circles of demon-banishing
Wiccans and the insipid adherents of the New Age
movement. For the most part, She has been
transmogrified into a luminous, nurturing earth
mother, forced to suckle those who long to be
blinded in the white light of universal bliss. When
not pressed into the service of the Right-Hand Path
as a symbol of bland angelic goodness, a Marian
fantasy, She has been co-opted by the strident ranks
of neo-feminists. Thus has the essential truth of Her
being been distorted into mundane propaganda for a
sisterhood of reverse sexists.
Railing against the reviled patriarchy, the
scapegoat of the gynocentric cult’s synthetic version
of history, these misguided avengers fighting male
injustice have trivialized the Goddess into a political
plaything. Rightfully resentful of the rule of God
the Father, these self-proclaimed womyn (yes, I
meant to spell it that way) have entirely missed the
point. Like many a revolutionary before them, they
have supplanted one tyranny with another. Old
Yahweh has been replaced by God the Mother, an
equally repressive divinity who differs from her
predecessor only in the lack of a beard and a
phallus.
I am committed to freeing the Goddess from the
bonds of political and quasi-spiritual faddism in
which She has been enchained. I have seen Her
begin to stir, returning at last to Her rightful place as
the true source of the sinister way.
Since Her long exile and captivity in the hands
of the forces of stasis, the Left-Hand Path in the
West has been a confused and unbalanced route.
To turn to the metaphor of the Graal Quest,
particularly the legend of Parsifal, the Left-Hand
Path without the Goddess is as moribund and
lifeless as the Graal Castle’s solemn monks without
the creative chaos of the enchantress Kundry. This
state of affairs is based largely on a culturally
induced misunderstanding of the nature of the
Goddess.
So prevalent is this contemporary
misinterpretation of feminine deity that few modern
Black Magicians have given much thought to the
Goddess. This is understandable, to a certain extent.
What self-respecting Western practitioner of the
Black Arts would want to muck around with the
Goddess, in light of the contemporary associations
attached to this spiritual phenomenon?
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 12
After all, the revival of sinister sorcery in the late
nineteenth and twentieth centuries has been an
overwhelmingly masculine phenomenon. The neters
most familiar to the contemporary magician of
various traditions have been male, whether they be
Horus, Aiwass, Satan, Lucifer, Set, or Odin. The
most influential magical sodalities in the past two
hundred years have primarily been gentlemen’s
clubs.
I have always been mystified and distressed by
this state of affairs. The absence of the Goddess
from the Left-Hand Path is a tragedy that needs to
be resolved.
As I will attempt to illustrate, the Left-Hand Path
originally began as an initiatory tradition centered
almost completely on the force that I have come to
call the Feminine Dæmonic.
The Dark Goddess, known by a myriad of
names, was once the very crux of Left-Hand Path
practice. Not only are women essential to the
authentic operation of Black Magical technology,
but the cosmic energy of femininity as an eternal
principle is the hidden power behind all that we
consider to be the Left-Hand Path.
Notice that I describe femininity as a cosmic
energy, and not simply as a biological
differentiation.
The concept of the Feminine Dæmonic that I
have attempted to introduce to Setian magic is not
exclusive to women. She is a power with which all
Black Magicians, regardless of gender , work. The
Feminine Dæmonic is every bit as important to the
male Black Magician as She is to the female.
This may be the greatest misunderstanding and
challenge I will face in my attempt to restore Her to
her dormant throne. I suspect that some male Black
Magicians will be uncomfortable in working with
the inner Goddess. The disturbance this may cause
can be just the kind of unfamiliar psychic spur that
allows for Xeper to take place.
The Babalon Pylon, under the CoSentinelship of
Priestess Schreck and myself, is a flesh-and-blood
working designed to unveil the previously concealed
presence of the Feminine Dæmonic in the Æon of
Set.
The current of Babalon, the form in which this
Dæmonic has manifested, is the feminine
counterpart of Set. She has been here all along, as I
hope to demonstrate. By activating what was once
hidden as an explicit and visible dynamic in Setian
magic, the Æon is enhanced and expanded.
The Pylon’s approaches to the Dark Goddess
are as varied as the individual intelligences of the
members of the Pylon. The invocation and evocation
of the Goddess is one method we utilize. Other
techniques depart from the dominant Setian
emphasis on intellect alone and activate the body as
magical tool.
In keeping with the Indian roots of the Left-
Hand Path, we also examine and experiment with
such Tantric concepts as the awakening of the
feminine serpent power of the kundalini, the
balanced and mature exploration of the male-female
polarities through erotic magic, and other physical
systems of self-deification.
An abiding quality of Babalon is the essential
mystery of metaphysical femininity. One of these
many mysteries is that Set, the Prince of Darkness,
is himself reflective of the Feminine Dæmonic. An
in-depth study of the existing corpus of
mythological texts concerning Set will make this
seemingly anomalous fact abundantly clear. As an
exercise in allowing the reader to explore such
mysterious knowledge, I will not explain further in a
linear fashion, but allow you to seek this enigma in
your own way.
The poetic epic Faust by Johann Wolfgang
Goethe is a seminal masterwork of initiatory power
that I have returned to again and again in my life. I
never cease to find fresh inspiration in this timeless
saga based on the legend of the Black Magician Dr.
Faust and the quest for self-deification his pact with
Mephistopheles engenders.
One of the essential keys to my own magical
practice, and an enduring leitmotif of my existence,
is encapsulated in a phrase that appears toward the
conclusion of this opus. That phrase is: “Das Ewig
Weiblich zieht uns immer hinan.” (“The Eternal
Feminine draws us forever onwards.”)
This has become something of a magical motto
for me. I have uttered this expression many times in
workings that have spanned from the advent of my
first crude experiments with magic decades ago to
the more refined theurgic operations I engage in
today.
By printing these words that have held so much
personal meaning to me in the pages of the Scroll, I
am releasing the inherent power built up in them by
years of private sorcerous practice to the Temple of
Set at large. In so doing, a part of what was once
merely one individual magician’s tool becomes a
source of fuel for the Æon itself.
If you so desire, integrate this phrase within
your deepest core. Allow it to echo within the
furthest reaches of the ever-expanding limits of your
self. You may hear the primal energy of the Left-
Hand Path herself call out Her ethereal siren song.
Hers is the silvery, secret music of the Graal,
that most evocative image of the mysterious
feminine principle underlying all works of the Black
Arts.
She is the watery force of yin, the soft glow of
lunar light that illumines the realm of night.
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 13
She can appear as Nepthys, the bride of Set,
guarding the oasis in the desert.
Kali, the black mother of all-devouring time is
yet another of Her manifestations.
She is the Walküre, riding across the field of
battle in the Northern lands, just as Her warrior
sister Sekhmet rides the chariot in Khem.
One of Her names is Tiamat, fearsome
dragoness whose memory remains in the form of
Leviathan and Apep.
The Hellenes knew Her as Pythia, source of the
Oracle.
One of Her most dreaded incarnations is Lilith,
the first of the succubi.
For our purposes, let us say that all of her many
masks blend together in the alluring shape of
Babalon: She, who in a thousand enchanting guises
embodies that eternal form I refer to as the
Feminine Dæmonic.
One of the essential points of the Babalonian
current presently being activated in the Temple is
that the very phrase “Left-Hand Path” is associated
with the feminine mysteries in a fundamental
manner which has been largely overlooked by
Setians.
If we examine the Sanskrit phrase Vama Marg ,
which literally translates to “left-hand path”, we
will discover that “left”, in the esoteric symbolism
of Indian twilight language, is a reference to the
feminine. Vama or “left” also means “woman”.
Basically this is because in the antinomian
Tantric rites of the true Left-Hand Path, spiritual
enlightenment and self-deification are realized via
sacred sexual operations with women, who are
traditionally seated to the left in such workings.
This is a subject which can be analyzed in much
further depth, but these facts are sufficient to clarify
why the cosmic principle of the feminine is so
crucial to the practice of the Left-Hand Path.
To say it concisely, woman is understood as the
supreme initiatory power in the authentic Left-Hand
Path. Those familiar with the relationship between
Shiva, the male creator/destroyer of the universe
(static energy waiting to be awakened from death)
and his consort Kali (active energy which has the
power to awaken), will understand this principle.
Considering the importance of the Feminine
Dæmonic in the earliest recorded descriptions of
Left-Hand Path initiation and magical
transformation, it is ironic that women have been
given such short shrift in the distorted and
embryonic revival of the Left-Hand Path in the
modern Western world.
For brevity’s sake, I will only analyze a few
instances of this curious perversion of genuine Left-
Hand practice. I will focus on those magical
traditions that Dr. Aquino recognizes as antecedents
of the Temple of Set in his diagram in the Crystal
Tablet.
The Knights Templar, often imagined to be one
of the roots of ceremonial western magic of the
sinister variety, had nothing but disdain for women,
drawing their energy from exclusively masculine
homoerotic rites.
In the later Black Mass, one of the earliest
antinomian practices in Europe, the female is
reduced to the inert and passive role of “living
altar”, nothing more than an orifice to be utilized as
a desecratory instrument. Those who devised this
primitive rejection of Judæo-Christian values failed
to see that this abuse of the feminine power was
only perpetuating the traditional Judæo-Christian
hatred of womankind. In contrast, the true Left-
Hand Path of India venerates the feminine.
As certain bastardized aspects of the Left-Hand
Path were developed into slightly more sophisticated
forms, such as the proto-Masonic initiatory Orders,
women were excluded altogether. This set the
template for the unfortunate tendency of magical
societies in the West to be “old boys’ clubs”.
The Right-Hand Path practices of the Order of
the Golden Dawn, which has had such a profound
effect on all magical societies, including our own,
produced a few female initiates, but they were never
allowed the power of the male founders of the G.D.
Nevertheless it is interesting to note how many
powerful women in the lives of Golden Dawn
magicians acted as driving forces in their more
celebrated companions’ lives.
Aleister Crowley, whose sexual magic seemed to
partake of a certain confused interpretation of Indian
Left-Hand Path techniques, certainly allowed the
feminine principle a major role in his workings.
Unfortunately Crowley’s underlying misogyny,
perhaps the result of his hatred of his own Christian
Fundamentalist mother, never allowed the many
Scarlet Women and female neters he trafficked with
to be granted the dignity and honor the Left-Hand
Path demands.
One searches in vain for the female magical
authorities of the Æon of Horus. With the possible
exception of Jane Wolfe, the majority of female
Thelemites in Crowley’s retinue were encouraged to
do little more in the way of initiatory work than to
serve as disposable receptacles for the Master
Therion’s magic wand.
Despite this struggle with the strength of woman
as eternal form, he did recognize the feminine
component of his own being as an important part of
his initiation. Again this was tainted by the fact that
his psychic make-up could only see the female
element of his psyche as something to be
masochistically abused.
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 14
Crowley developed many important concepts
useful to the Babalonian current, but it is the task of
Setians working with the Feminine Dæmonic to
purify his legacy of the Beast’s own psychological
neuroses concerning women.
It was Crowley who resurrected the dæmon
Babalon in his Enochian experiments, recorded in
his The Vision and The Voice. However Crowley’s
very typical Victorian hatred of women did not allow
him to fully manifest this power. That Work was to
be the deed of his rebellious, one-time disciple John
Whiteside Parsons, a significant player in the æonic
awakening of the Feminine Dæmonic of whom
more will be said later.
The most immediately apparent predecessor of
the Temple of Set, the Church of Satan, would seem
to have allowed the Feminine Dæmonic a place in its
scheme. However a close analysis will reveal that the
women of the Age of Satan were actually treated
with a contempt and misogyny that goes even
further, albeit more complicated, than Crowley’s
metaphysical sexism.
For Anton LaVey, those Satanic Witches whom
he privately berated as “dames and broads” were
only good for window dressing and membership
bait, their duties confined to laying down passively
on the altar as symbols of earth. The role women
were actually allowed in the Church of Satan never
transcended that of worshipful follower of the
master.
This even extended to his three significant
others who bore him offspring as well as the brunt
of his physical abuse.
His book The Compleat Witch makes it very
clear that LaVey could not grasp anything deeper
about the feminine principle than the necessity of all
women to “trick” a man into supporting her by
deceptive wiles. The ideal Satanic Witch, if we are to
follow LaVeyan logic, is basically a clever call-girl
who never puts out, whose entire existence is
justified only by her ability to create an alluring
facade to men.
There were women in the Church of Satan who
were not content with this limited role as gun-moll
to Mephistopheles. Some of these, like Magistra
Aquino and Priestess Schreck, inevitably sought
Xeper and self-development in the Temple of Set,
rather than accept the degradation meted out in the
Church of Satan.
I must make it clear that I am not condemning
female submissiveness, or even prostitution, out of
some prudish moralistic outrage. I am the first to
acknowledge that the female Black Magician who
chooses to consciously play a submissive or
masochistic role in erotic magic is also enhancing a
certain aspect of her personal identity as Goddess.
Also the ancient concept of sacred prostitution
or holy whoredom does play an important part in
the Feminine Dæmonic. This metaphysical
understanding of the sacred function of the divine
prostitute can be understood by studying the
tradition of the Vestal Virgins, to cite but one
example.
Babalon Herself is associated with the “Whore
of Babylon” of Revelations, a manifestation of
Ishtar/Astarte who had her cult of temple prostitutes.
However the inner truth that separates these
magical dimensions of female submissiveness and
sacred prostitution is their numinous quality,
something quite different from the profane
exploitation of women so rampant in the World of
Horrors. Such exploitation is utterly foreign to the
original tradition of the Left-Hand Path that I am
attempting to revive through the Babalonian
Feminine Dæmonic.
I will address these controversial issues in a
more detailed article for a future edition of our
Pylon’s publication, Scarlet Letters.
The Temple of Set itself has actually paid
relatively little attention to the feminine element of
Black Magic. I suspect this is perhaps a reaction to
the unfortunate excesses so prevalent in some of the
earlier examples I have cited.
Despite this silence on the subject, The Temple
is notable among modern magical associations for
the prevalence of women in powerful initiatory and
administrative offices. This may have been one of
the conditions allowing for the powerful
Remanifestation of Babalon within the house of Set.
Now it is generally accepted that the Æon of Set
is connected as part of a causal relationship to the
Age of Satan. Obviously, it can not be denied that
the founding Priesthood of Set escaped from the
corruption of the Church of Satan. This is a
historical fact.
However an intrinsic part of my own theory
concerning the Babalonian current of the Feminine
Dæmonic and its importance to the Æon is a new
model of æonic succession. (This may seem to be a
digression, but bear with me.)
It seems obvious to me that the Æon of Horus
was a necessary stepping-stone to the Æon of Set.
Only a few years ago, Crowley’s The Book of the
Law was still included in the Crystal Tablet, along
with commentary by Ipsissimus Aquino, explaining
the connection between the Thelemic document that
heralded “the age of force and fire” and the Book
of Coming Forth by Night .
Magus Webb has further illuminated this
foreshadowing, pointing out that the Book of the
Law makes cryptic reference to cophr, as something
which will supersede the Word of Thelema. Cophr ,
of course, is Crowley’s Hebrophiliac distortion of
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 15
the Word Xeper. The uttering of this Word did
indeed close the curtain on the Horian Solar Æon.
With that finale the dominance of Horus’ eternal
enemy Set and the powers of the Night commenced.
There is a missing piece of the puzzle that has
been neglected. I have never accepted the traditional
Setian idea that the message of the Book of the Law
was followed by the Satanic Bible , which in turn
was succeeded by the Book of Coming Forth by
Night, as one must assume if we follow the Æon of
Horus>Age of Satan>Æon of Set sequence.
It is my contention that the true bridge between
the Æon of Horus and the Æon of Set is the
unknown Æon of Babalon, a world-age which, in
my estimation, lasted approximately thirty years,
roughly from a few years before the demise of
Aleister Crowley in the late forties to the Uttering of
the Æonic Word of Set in 1975 C.E.
I would suggest that the æonic trilogy would be
more accurately described as consisting of the Book
of the Law, the Book of Babalon, and the Book of
Coming Forth by Night.
The author of the Book of Babalon and
unwitting architect of the Æon of Babalon was the
mysterious Magister John Whiteside Parsons
(1914-1952), who legally changed his name to “the
Antichrist Belarion” shortly before his fiery death.
In discussing Parsons I have no desire to
perpetuate yet another glamorous occult legend.
This would only distract from personal initiation by
setting up the kind of self-abnegating personality
cult that has formed around Crowley and other
influential magicians. Parsons’ importance to the
Temple must be comprehended within a distinctly
Setian context.
One reason for studying Parsons’ life and work
is that his unique understanding of the Feminine
Dæmonic opened the gates of Babalon that I have
now explicitly extended into the Temple of Set.
As an avid Thelemite he was to become one of
Crowley’s last students. Due to personal quarrels in
the O.T.O. at that time, he was chartered by Crowley
to take a leadership position in the Pasadena Agape
Lodge.
His own personal fascination with the dimly-
understood Mystery of Babalon, dæmon of the
forbidden feminine, led him to ignore his lodge
duties to pursue his own private quest. This quest
drew him and a notorious magical associate to
perform the Babalon Working in 1946 C.E. The
goal of this working, which was centered on
Parsons’ increasingly Left-Hand Path practice of
Sex Magick, was to bring him a Scarlet Woman, a
physical incarnation of Babalon.
Parsons judged his working to have succeeded
when a young woman named Marjorie Cameron
appeared, seeking lodging at the Pasadena mansion
he rented out to eccentrics and artists. A whirlwind
magical courtship ensued, and Parsons attempted
the next step of his working. Cameron was
impregnated with what the pair hoped would be a
“moonchild”, a purely magical being destined to
change the course of the æons.
In my estimation that “moonchild” was not to
be the physical offspring of this coupling. [I have
met Parsons’ daughter, and she is certainly no
moonchild.] What the Babalon Working did gave
birth to was a number of less logically causal
creations, not the least of these being the birth of
Michael A. Aquino some nine months later.
Ipsissimus Aquino has commented on this
connection to the Babalon Current in his
commentary to the Book of Coming Forth by Night ,
which I would direct all Setians with access to the
Ruby Tablet of Set to read.
If one accepts the possibility that this renegade
Thelemite and his Scarlet Woman, the incarnation of
Babalon, instigated the birth of the man who would
utter Xeper and form the Temple of Set as an
expression of his bond with the Prince of Darkness,
then the first Understanding of the importance of
Babalon to the Setian Æon becomes clear.
Shortly before Priestess Schreck and I joined
the Temple of Set, we were deeply involved in the
research of a project that aimed to be the definitive
biography of Jack Parsons. In the process of
compiling this research, we met most of the
surviving witnesses to Parsons’ brief life, eventually
tracking down Cameron Parsons herself shortly
before her death.
One of our interviews was with Dr. Aquino,
whose interpretation of his connection with the
Babalon Working seemed to be a fascinating part of
the puzzle. The result of our meeting with him to
discuss this topic was our decision to join the
Temple of Set.
We eventually came to realize that we ultimately
did not wish to be mere biographers or journalists
studying this subject from a disinterested
perspective. Instead, sensing an intrinsic bond
between Parsons’ work and the Temple of Set, we
realized our quest was a magical and initiatory one,
having little to do with the profane research we
originally imagined we were pursuing.
Eventually, this quest led to the founding of the
Los Angeles-based Babalon Pylon.
One of the aspects of the Pylon that has
convinced me of the authenticity of the work is the
number of dedicated Initiates who have come to
Babalon from a pre-existing background of rapport
with key aspects of this vehicle of the Feminine
Dæmonic.
The unlikely synchronicities and continuing
unveiling of Babalon’s mystery continues to this
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 16
day, an inexplicable sequence of events that is
completely in line with the nature of Babalon’s
Feminine Dæmonic. Babalon is very much a force
of Runa “the transformatrix” [to quote Magus
Flowers], that most feminine of Xeper-enhancing
Words.
One last comment concerning Parsons and
Cameron: They are excellent models for Setian
magicians in several regards:
Both of them were not only accomplished and
influential magicians, but also affected the World of
Horrors in significant ways. Parsons, a founder of
Jet Propulsion Laboratories, was also a highly-
regarded scientist whose pioneering research into
rocket fuel and space travel played a significant part
in NASA’s eventual journey to the Moon. His
influence on space exploration has been honored by
naming a crater on the Moon after him.
[Appropriately Parsons’ crater is located on the
dark side of the Moon - a fitting tribute, considering
the lunar orb’s ancient connection with the feminine
mysteries.]
Cameron, after her husband’s death in an
explosion, came to appear in several avant-garde
films, serving as a muse to such filmmakers as
Kenneth Anger and Curtis Harrington.
She also earned a reputation as a fine artist,
creating a body of work that is her most enduring
legacy. They embodied what seems to me to be an
important Setian principle: It is not enough to
merely cause change in the esoteric world of magic.
The Black Magician extends his dominion into the
profane world as well, leaving a mark in both
spheres as a testament of power.
The High Priest has recently informed me that
Freedom is a Two-Edged Sword , a collection of
some of Parson’s magical texts, has been added to
the Temple’s reading list. This gratifies me, as its
inclusion there is a subtle but significant sign that
the work of Parsons is slowly being recognized in
the Temple as a subject worthy of some
investigation.
Such is my extremely condensed version of the
historical background of the Babalonian Current.
A far more comprehensive study continues
under the ægis of the Babylon Pylon. While this
history is important as a basic guide to
understanding this new/ancient movement within the
Æon of Set, ultimately the Setian must return to the
self and consider the relevance of any magical
phenomena for personal Xeper and initiation. The
Babalonian Work is not for all.
Although I have presented many sides of the
Dark Goddess, I have really only been able to
convey a bare suggestion of the full complexity of
this vast and largely lost zone of initiation.
Much of the work ahead consists of
refashioning long-forgotten keys for renewed use in
the Æon of Set. Other uncharted regions of the
Babalonian Current have yet to be discovered.
The adventure that Babalon calls some Setians
to explore is one that can ultimately only be lived in
the danger and uncertainty of the world itself. The
Feminine Dæmonic is far too vibrant to confine to
the cloistered atmosphere of the ritual chamber.
Reason and rationality may be adequate means
to introduce the Black Magician to this eternal
Principle. Nevertheless reason and rationality can
only go so far. To truly know Her, one must plunge
into the swirling chaos of the immortal city which
bears Her name. And there, among the towers and
the ziggurats, you must face Her joyous and terrible
mysteries with the passion of a lover.
To love Her is to learn the power to destroy and
the power to create. Those who accept the challenge
of coming to know Her dare to risk all. What does
one stand to gain by embracing such a volatile
being?
Nothing less than the Graal itself.
___________________________________
[14] Scarlet Letters, Book One
An Anthology of the Feminine Dæmonic
The Voice of the Babalon Pylon
- Edited by Nikolas Schreck III°
With contributions by Amy Hession Iº, Sheila
Jenkins Iº, Simone Lohmeier Iº, Brian Lopez II°,
Brad Moore II°, David Moore II°, Nikolas Schreck
III°, Zeena Schreck III°
A knowledge of Babalon has been remanifested
in the Temple of Set. I have been pleased to see how
swiftly the fascination of Her enchantment has
intrigued many Setians to explore the Feminine
Dæmonic which She incarnates.
To those who seek Her mysteries, I welcome
you to learn more of the Babalonian Current and
work with the Babalon Pylon in the revival of the
Dark Goddess.
The Babalon Pylon has produced the first of a
series of publications designed to make this Current
accessible to all Setians. This publication, entitled
Scarlet Letters, Book One, is an illustrated
anthology of the Feminine Dæmonic.
The first volume contains essays, inspired
writing, and accounts of Feminine Dæmonic
workings by Babalonians Adept Brian Lopez, Adept
David Moore, Adept Simone Lohmeier, Setian Amy
Hession, Priestess Zeena Schreck, and myself,
expanding greatly on the themes that I have
sketched in the article above.
Also included are reproductions of the paintings
of Adept Brad Moore, whose work was so well
received at the recent Los Angeles Gathering, and
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 17
the artwork of Setian Sheila Jenkins.
Each Scarlet Letters ordered by readers of the
Scroll will include the supplemental document The
Gates of Babalon , the introductory text of
Babalonian magic by Priestess Schreck and myself.
To order Scarlet Let ters, send a US$5 donation
to The Babalon Pylon.
___________________________________
[15] The Spiral Maze of Thulask
The Psychology of
a Setian’s Possible Entertainment
- by Tony Pizzini II°
Steve Roach/Vir Unis. Body Electric (Projekt,
1999).
It would seem, by now, after reviewing a couple
of Steve's CDs here, and a number of Setians
becoming aware of his music at the last Conclave or
already being familiar with it, that any further
mention on my part, is superfluous. It may be.
Briefly, Body Electric is one of about five CDs
released in the last few months by this prolific
musician. It is, from start to finish, music for
workings, as well as dance, llama birthdays, etc.
Vir Unis is a young Canadian (I think)
percussionist/synthesist; the ten pieces blend
seamlessly into one another, and the cover art,
digitally generated by Steven Rooke, is, well, you
just have to see that for yourself (something tells me
that the name of George Cantor was invoked here).
Perhaps this CD is a new phase in the marriage
of Ambient and Techno, as neither is dominate:
ethnic percussion and wind instruments travel
alongside synthesizers and drum computers, while
the mix itself hardly lends itself to one being able to
figure out which is which, and it all sounds, as usual,
very primeval.
Steve will be touring the US this fall and is
currently looking for more bookings. If you have or
are a contact in this direction, check out his web site
where you'll find out whom to contact, as well as all
the things usually found in these places about the
artists involved. www.steveroach.com
***
Faust: Faust Wakes Nosferatu (Klangbad/Think
Progressive, 1997).
Faust have been around for a long time. They
met and began rehearsing as a band in Hamburg in
1969. Between September 1971 and June 1973,
they released their four classic recordings: Faust, So
Far, The Faust Tapes, and IV.
In 1990, the surviving original members began
recording and performing live again. I believe I am
safe in saying that this musical entity is where the
Rock genre known as “Industrial” likely began, the
only other alternative I can think of being the very
early Velvet Underground's extended performance
forays into complete musical mayhem.
Faust has been acknowledged as an influence on
a number of bonds from Throbbing Gristle to
Stereolab.
Describing their sound is not easy, it
encompasses everything from beautiful, haunting
melodies to, and sometimes during, pastiche-type
editing of noises (cement mixers, dynamite,
sledgehammers through televisions, water gurgling
down drains) and song fragments (some only a few
seconds long) into a stream-of-consciousness kind
of musical jigsaw.
Anyone interested in hearing this band is
generally advised to get one of the first four CDs
(listed above), usually The Faust Tapes , which is
considered to be their best.
Faust wakes Nosferatu is 72 minutes and is a
live interpretation of the Murnau film Nosferatu.
The CD cover is black and features two puncture
marks cut into the cover itself. OF course, this is in
keeping with their completely clear first LP (the
record, sleeve, and cover), or the more recent Rien,
which is a silver CD (both sides), case and sleeve
(with unreadable pages!). Very unsettling stuff (I
would suppose) to most people, but quite useful
during workings or anywhere an angular
atmosphere is needed, More here:
http://andywzinc.co.uk/ faust
***
Roger Eno, The Flatlands (All Saints/Thirsty
Ear, 1998).
The less well-known younger brother of Brian
Eno, with about seven releases to his credit, as well
as commissions for various stage productions and
films (he contributed music to Dario Argento's
“Opera”, for instance).
While his music, like his brother's, has been
described as “ambient”, the similarities end there.
Unlike his brother, he has a classical music
education and there is, perhaps because of that, a
greater depth and range in his composition.
His earlier releases tend to be more luminous
and tweaked, as in “Voices” and “Between Tides”,
yet they still reflect a vision of impressionistic
melancholy (his music has been compared to both
Satie and Delius).
The Flatlands may interest Setians in that it is
dark, although not in a menacing sort of way; more
as something to listen to when depressed or in
trying to create an introspective state. The vocal-less
pieces here feature piano, strings, the occasional
woodwind, and usually move rather slowly. A
number of his recordings feature artists such as
Kate St. John (ex-Dream Academy), Bill Nelson,
Brian Eno, and Michael Brook.
***
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 18
Philip Glass, Akhnaten (CBS, 1987).
Glass is an American composer, born in
Baltimore, and living in New York City. Any Setian
familiar with his name and music has either of two
likely responses: dislike or understanding. I
suppose there are some with mixed feelings, but I
have rarely met anyone with them!
Glass’ music is a response to Serialism, the new
music that started to become popular just after
World War II (composers such as Stockhausen,
Ligeti, Berio, et al). It has been called Minimalism,
although the composers who picked up the style
(Glass, Reich, Adams, et al), have never used this
term themselves in describing their music.
Glass’ music appears to continually repeat
musical figures until it becomes something of a dare
to see who will jump through a window first. While
it is a strange listening experience, it in fact rarely
repeats itself; rather, there are tiny variations (that
can be seen in the written music) which lead,
generally, to the next similar figure.
If Glass is listened to with three things in mind,
it can be easier to (possibly) enjoy; it has the same
structure as classical music to a degree although
there is very little ornamentation and no
development; there is a slight tendency toward
Indian music in the tonalities and rhythm/motives;
and last, should be listened to neither vertically
(harmony) nor horizontally (melody), meaning that
Glass’ original intention was that the music would
sound as if it were not moving forward in time, but
instead coming from the same moment continuously
(perhaps like tape loops endlessly overlapping).
This last observation was the one that enabled me to
listen to Glass’ work and marvel at it.
Akhnaten was written in 1982, and completes a
trilogy that includes Satyagraha and Einstein On
The Beach.
I imagine Setians are familiar with Akhnaten for
the most part: an Egyptian king who ruled during
the 18th Dynasty, reformed the religion of Egypt
into a monotheistic culture dedicated to Aten, and
was violently overthrown after seventeen years. I
believe what Glass is highlighting here is the
rebellious character of this kind and his revolution.
The text is sung in Egyptian, Akkadian, and biblical
Hebrew. Performed by the Stuttgart State Opera and
Chorus and directed by Dennis Russell Davies.
___________________________________
[16] The Setian Hajj:
The Los Angeles Gathering, Conclaves,
and the Year of the Essential
- by Brian G. Lopez II° (Sir Dajjal Menyelek)
A Black Hajji of the Babalon Pylon
Firstly I wish to extend a warm thanks to all
attendees of the Los Angeles Gathering. Those few
days of interaction with the Nobles of Set was truly
sacred, and will always carry a special place in my
heart.
The following is primarily intended for Setians
who have yet to attend a conclave or gathering. This
working also has a secondary purpose, which
should become apparent as the article unfolds.
I joined the Temple in 1997 and attended my
first conclave last year in Hawaii. I went as a Setian
I° and returned an Adept II°.
This initial pilgrimage had a profound impact on
my psyche, and it went well beyond my tangible
recognition as an Adept.
I'll be blunt: I was scared just-short-of-shitless
of meeting other Setians. Making the trip to Set-
XIX, however, resolved any issues concerning if the
Temple was right for me.
This is my first point: You can't really know if
the Temple of Set behooves your initiation unless
you meet other Setians face-to-face. The greater the
number of Initiates you meet, the better a feel you
get for the Temple.
Verily, as a Child of Set do I swear that the
jewels you obtain through the Scroll of Set, e-mail,
and even Pylon meetings are minuscule when
compared to the hyper-Xeper which occurs at Setian
gatherings. My fellow travelers will attest to this.
Our patron deity is primarily a god of war, of
conflict, but also of foreign lands and exchange.
Setians experience these aspects of initiation
through international and regional conclaves.
Granted, wars don’t generally break out at Setian
functions [at least not this century], but a certain
type of conflict does arise between Initiates.
I won’t be the first to state that the Temple isn’t
one big, happy family; but this is a good thing. It is
this very clash of ideals, on both sacred and profane
matters, that keeps the Setian perspective fresh and
challenging. Both the individual and collective Xeper
is fueled through this divine contending.
The good majority of attendees at any given
conclave will on some level be foreign to the area in
which it’s being facilitated. This is important to
initiation.
The Setian tears himself away from the day-to-
day existence of the mundane world, for the usual
reminders of the World of Horrors are absent. Thus
the individual may focus on the magic of the
moment, rather than relegating time as a tool of
Osiris.
In fact the divine formula of Xepera Xeper
Xeperu is enacted every time the Setian travels to a
Conclave:
(1) Xepera: The Setian separates himself from
the well-known world and enters something that is
at least a little mysterious [and Los Angeles is a very
strange land indeed].
Scroll of Set - June 1999 - Page 19
(2) Xeper: The Setian expands personal
consciousness through interaction with other
Children of Set.
(3) Xeperu: Upon returning home, the Setian
reintegrates the pearls of Sophia he procured into
his current work, and thus strengthens his initiation.
Therefore, by attending these Temple gatherings, the
Initiate becomes like Set.
Thirdly, Setians are able to form very strong
magical alliances through these large group
meetings.
During the Los Angeles Gathering, I was
fortunate to build a couple of new ties with very
powerful Black Magicians. It’s doubtful these
particular relationships would have developed if I
had not attended. There are certain forms of magic
that are impossible to engage via mail (electronic or
other).
I will forever be transformed by this initiatory
exchange, and can't emphasize enough the
importance it will play in the strengthening of the
Temple. I send my magical blessings to those
beautiful souls I interacted with, and consider you
my veritable brothers and sisters in Set.
Lastly, attending these gatherings is fun! This
shouldn’t be ignored. If you're not having any fun
doing Black Magic, then it’s time to change your
religion. Conclaves and gatherings are a major
source of Setian fun.
This in no way suggests that I don’t take my
initiation seriously; anyone who meets me will see
the covenant I hold with the Prince of Darkness.
There’s a certain thrill one gets from conducting
a large group working, however, complete with black
robes and inverse pentagram medallions. I am
reminded of the final working of the Los Angeles
Gathering; the magical energy was so thick you
could cut it with a Pesh Khent knife.
Also, as magically intense as this experience
was, it’s genuinely funny to think of an international
Satanic organization meeting at the Ramada to
perform strange rites of Black Magic. I imagine the
hotel staff, guests, and one particular gentleman who
nearly walked in on a working [and would have if
Magister Mann didn’t stop him], have colorful
stories to tell their family and friends. Truth is much
stranger than fiction.
To participate in this creation of Setian myth and
legend is the initiatory joy of joys. Traveling the
Path of the Left without these moments of Xeper is
unfortunate, and I wouldn't wish it upon even those
Setians I don't like.
I have a recommendation for the Temple,
inspired by the tenets of Islam. All Muslims are
required to make a hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at
least once in their life. After this ordeal the Muslim
receives the honorific title of Hajji (meaning
“traveler” or “pilgrim”). This act is considered an
essential sacrament to Allah. The hajj causes an
intense change in the individual's state of being.
A good example of this can be seen in a role-
model of mine, Malcolm X. He went from bitching
and moaning about “white devils” to actually
working towards the creation of a better world.
[Please read The Autobiography of Malcolm X , or
for the less literate, see Spike Lee’s X.] This change
in his world-view was directly linked to his hajj.
Obviously I'm not suggesting we pray to the
West five times a day, chant “Seti-U-Akbar”, or
what have you; the agendas of Islam and the Temple
of Set aren’t complementary. I am suggesting the
Temple should have a requirement, for all Setians to
make one trip to a conclave or gathering within, say,
the first three years of membership.
Priestess Schreck has referred to the conclave as
a “Sacrament of Set”, and I must agree
emphatically. I do realize the financial strain this
presents [believe me, as a college student I know
this all too well], but the Setian should regard the
monetary sacrifice as an offering from the self to the
ideal self.
The “Black Hajj” provides infinitely more for
the Setian’s spirituality than any other form of
initiatory exchange in the Temple. Attend one and
see for yourself; Remanifest guaranteed.
I welcome correspondence from all members of
the Temple, but would especially like to hear from
newly recognized Setians. We come as travelers
before the Black Flame of Set, to become as masters
of these strange worlds and beyond. It is in the
gathering of potentially divine beings, that the
double-edged sword called initiation is sharpened.
Dost thou seek the Mysteries?
I plant this seed in the Year of the Essential.
My Name is written in my journey. Xeper.